The Ultimate Body Language Book

Chapter 4 – Space and Territory
Introduction – Chapter 4
The “luncheon test” is a fun territorial game. To play it, simply advance restaurant artifacts from your
side to the other piece-by-piece over the course of a meal. Start with the condiments (salt, pepper,
ketchup, etc.) then move onto your own personal items such as your drink, an empty salad bowl, use
napkins and so forth. Watch how your guest response. Do they push the items back to reclaim land, or
do they ease back in their chair and let you have the extra space you seem to require?
As a species, we have clear definitions and rules protecting ownership of our possessions for the
purpose of maintaining order and reducing conflict. Territoriality describes the set of rules that govern
the space around our bodies with emphasis on how we communicate ownership. A territory is defined
as the space or area around a person that is claimed as their own, to the exclusion, or inclusion, of all
others as they see fit. Territoriality is a key part of the human condition even though it is rarely thought
about. The land our houses sit upon is owned by us and we prove this to others by way of a deed and
unfortunately by the taxes we pay for the right to keep it. Most of the things inside our houses are also
ours and we prove this through shear possession, unless we save our purchase receipts. There are also
things we own but that occupy space that is shared by our communities, or that neighbouring
communities. Our cars are owned by us, yet move about the territories of others.
Fences around our homes have become commonplace showing a greater need for us to protect what
little space we own, in a rapidly expanding population, that finds itself in a shrinking community.
Apartment style housing and condominiums however, prove that as land availability shrinks, our
tolerance for density is increasing. As we shall see, habitation density controls personal space
tolerances, that is, it controls how much empty space we require around our bodies when near other
people. However we look at property and personal space, one thing is true, everyone fights to defend it.
We see this battle amongst children who fight for the front passenger seat in an automobile or among
college students for the best seat on the sofa. We can also see it with office employees who fight for the
best seats at the conference table, or even the best offices (usually the biggest or with the brightest